President-elect Joe Biden has appointed former retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, the former commander of US Central Command, as the Secretary of Defense, according to multiple media reports. Politico was first to confirm the appointment late Monday afternoon.
If approved by the Senate, Austin would become the first Black person to head the Pentagon.
Austin, 67, also commanded US Forces in Iraq from 2010-11 and served as Vice Chief of Staff for the US Army from 2011-13.
A 1975 graduate of the US Military Academy, Austin also holds master’s degrees in counselling education and business administration.
